The past few days have been quite turbulent for Subnautica 2. CEO Ted Gill, who had been fired from Unknown Worlds in 2025 along with Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire, has been reinstated to his position following a ruling by the Delaware Chancery Court.
Shortly after this announcement, publisher Krafton stated through Unknown Worlds director Steve Papoutsis that Subnautica 2 would be released in early access next May. Papoutsis stated in an internal email that the second installment is “a game we’re really proud of, a game that all of us and our partners at Krafton have unanimously deemed ready for an early access release in May”.
However, lawyers for the studio’s three former executives are now accusing Krafton of ignoring court orders and asserting that only Gill can make a decision regarding the game’s launch window. He is now the sole decision-maker and could therefore postpone the release scheduled for next May.
“Krafton self-servingly announced the launch without any regard to its impact on the game, the team, or the community—let alone this Court’s Opinion.”
“Announcing the release of a game is momentous, and it is typically accompanied by significant marketing activity, fanfare, and community coordination. And most importantly, the announcement is carefully designed to maximize excitement for the game. That entire process was supposed to be driven by Mr. Gill […]”
“In his role as CEO, Gill will be able to assess independently his views on the state of Subnautica 2 and the appropriate release schedule; nothing in Papoutsis’s message alters Gill’s authority or discretion.”
